New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-23
MR.. BAIRD's "BUsY' MEN.
SQUARE IN A SORRY CONDITION.
PROMISES OF A RELIEF SOON BUT ONLY PRoMrsBe
NEW DANGERS AHEAD.

/
PROMISES OF RELIEF SOON BUT ONLY PROMISES
NEW DANCERS AHEAD.
The who the stereopticon screen ct Broad
way Fifth and Twenty thirdt has gottAn tired Of
showing his advertisements piles Of paving stones
which block the southwest corner Of Madison Square,
and every night he tries to have little fun at Con-
tractor Baird's expense.
Only two men are now ut work the F1fth-ava
pavement is put up In big letters periodically among
the hustle and patent medicine advertisements Then
the stereoptcon fntimapes that there is every
of their growing bald anu gray before they got
through digging in the sand and pounding the paving
blocks between rwentythird and Twenty fourth sts
People who have to travel mp and down town in the
Broadway o. the Ffthave. stages can't much
humor, however, In Contractor Bairds blocking the
busiest spot in town for FIVE six In succession
All through August the whole west side Of Madison
Square was practically shut to driving Of all sorts
The Subway Commission had torn up Broadway for ts
conduit and Contractor Baird had dumped the sand and
piled the granite blocks for tho ongdeayed pavement
The Subway men have been crawling slowly up toward
Thirty fourthst since. But Mt Baird's pavement
is still In statu quo There paving stones now
IL fact tossed and umbled across the than there
were before operations began From just below the
Worth Monument almost to line drawn from the Fifth
Avenue Hotel clock solid barricade of paving stones
six feet high and fifty sixty feet thck stretches
the street The blocks not piled In order even,
and uglier obstruction scarcely be imagined With
the pretty square hand and the sparkling,
busng street the other There stones lying
loose in this big barricade than would pave half the
square, perhaps big fraction will have to be carried
away aJterward. Of the men along the work i'd
mitted yesterday. But Mr.. Baird has much time
his hands that he easily afford to take the extra
trouble. Ten days work on the pavement would have
finished the job long ago. Mr. Baird had about twenty
laying blocks yesterday. It DO that he viii
take the time to break the blockade of the lower
before long.
TRAVEL CLOSED ON THE SIDE STREETS.
The worst of the slow work on the block bctweeI
Twentythird and Twentyfourth sts. 10 that 1t also
closes travel the blocks between Twentyfoufth and
Twenty sixth sts The pavement here is finished and
ready for but the contractor Ia AFRAID OF being
cramped for room and will not throw II open. This
forces all coming down the to turn across
to Broadway at Twenty sixth-st But the Edison Elec
trio Illuminating Company is laying wires In Broadway
here and the thoroughfare consequently narrow ed to
half it's width into which travel both ways has to jam
From Twenty third to Twenty sixth st. the line OF
and carriages thick and crawis slowly that tho
street is nearly impossible for pedestrians Tho street
line crossings at Twenty thd-st fortunately
open again. and from that place downtown II Is plain
sailing But Twenty thirdst the south side Of Madi
son Square is In almost as wretched condition
Broadway. The Subway Commission and the nluminat-
ing Company together have taken possession fit Tho
bobta have somewhat difficult right OF way, but
few carriages pass between Fifth and Madison
The Subway trench lie being dug from east to west and
will probably reach Fifthave. tomorrow. Contractor
Bairds two meu or twenty-five mon keep on indusrn-
ousy they may catch the Subway trench diggers and
then the three main arteries Of travel In town wiz b
cut again indefinitely.
The are however, that Madison Square VIII %
itself again In three weeks Tne subway condus
is already built from Fifth to Sixth aves and Con-
tractor Crmmns has the Job, keeps his up 70
their work better the easygoiug Mr. Baird. Ono
the Subway bosses said yesterday that the trench In
The work at Ffthave crossing win be done at night
possible and travel will not be seriously inter
fercd with There has been some complaint OF the 2asos
from trench The odor is strong almost nauseatna
along Twenty thrdst and some fears OF malaria hayc
come to the surface The fact is that most OF the gas
smell directly from the pipes where connection h2s
been broken The gas smell from the ground, IL has
been said. is not malaral. The Illuminating gas has
killed OF the other gases Ia the earth and makes
AT least noticed last summer from the trench odors
that hung about the Fifth Avenue Hotel and the Hon
House during July and August
One OF Mr. Baris foremen said yesterday tnat toe
delay the work Madison Square was due TO 40
the contractors part to finish tue pavlngtn
upper Ffthave In time for by people coming back
from the country. There had been good deal OF com
plant about neglect OF the street above ID Park
and Mr. Baird wanted get through up there, leaving
Twenty thirds for the last The contractor had aoas
100 days eft days would be enough 10 put down
last paving in The foreman denied the report
that only two we're at work on the pavement, ana
said that the block would be finished some time next
weeka prediction comic rting perhaps, than trust
worthy.